Staying motivated throughout the semester can be a hard task. If you’re anything like me, you start out the semester with a decent amount of motivation that slowly starts to dwindle after about the first month. This lack of motivation soon leads to the epic grade-killing, stress-inducer most of us call procrastination. For the sake of your mental health and grades, here are some things to keep in mind while trying to stay motivated during the entire spring semester.
1. Save the date.
Get a calendar, and look at it daily. This will help you to stay organized. Organization is key to staying motivated. Having a place to write your plans down every week will help you stay focused.
2. Make a to-do list.
Making a to-do list is another excellent way to keep yourself organized and motivated. Look at it daily! A to-do list is simply a list of goals you want to get done. Don’t feel bad if you aren’t able to get everything done right away. Some things take time.
3. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
This is a very important one. Know your limits. Spreading yourself too thin will do nothing but overwhelm you which will just lead to more stress. Use your calendar to schedule your time wisely. Getting involved on-campus can be a great experience builder and a way to make new friends, but watch out for oversheduling your time. Staying busy can be a great way to stay motivated, but staying too busy and never having downtime will only make things worse for you. Find a good balance.
4. Reward yourself.
Always reward yourself. Rewarding yourself will help you maintain your motivation. If you ace your test, reward yourself. If you have finally gotten around to studying, take a break and reward yourself. Remember not to stray too far off task, though.
5. Take a step back and breathe.
Anything can go wrong at any time. Don’t stress when things don’t go exactly as you planned them. Take a step back and breathe. It will work out.
6. There will be times you fail. Pick yourself back up again.
There will be times when you mess up. There will be times you just can’t seem to get something right. Don’t stress. You will figure it out. You are in college to learn and expand your knowledge. Acknowledge when you mess up, and learn from your mistakes.
Remember your mental health is important. Don’t work yourself too hard. Most of all do NOT procrastinate.
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